Regular exercise changes the brain in ways that improve memory and thinking skills claims researchers at Harvard Medical School. There are plenty of good reasons to be physically active, weight loss, lower blood pressure, prevent depression or just look better. But here’s another one, exercise changes the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills.

“Burnout” has unfortunately become a popular buzzword within the medical community. I didn’t realize how real this problem was until I encountered it myself before starting medical school. When I decided to change careers and pursue medicine, I felt assured that years of working in a high stress environment with various start-ups had prepared me adequately to deal with the challenges that lay ahead.

Do you struggle with reaching your goals? The reality is that most people do struggle. When you set goals for yourself, you undoubtedly have the very best of intentions. You want to succeed with your goals and reap the many benefits that come with making successful and important changes in your life. However, there is something that you may fail to account for in your goal planning i.e. life itself. Just when you are ready to take the necessary actions and make those vital changes; life gets in the way and you are unable to remain focused on your goals. If you cannot remain focused on your goals, you will lose momentum and fail to make the progress you desire. This soon leads to a loss of confidence and motivation.

A few tips from fellow D.O. students on how to relax and reorganize yourself during the summer before the school year starts up again.

From Naveetha Nandakumar, College of Medicine 2019, 2nd year student:

Rest & relax should come first and foremost. It is important for us to re-find our humanness and recharge for the marathon of second year/board studying.

Set a realistic goal and stay consistent. This may be reading something for 1-2 hours a day from 1st year material or previewing for next year. This may be doing 15 questions a day from a question bank. Whatever the goal is, don’t make it so demanding that you’re resistant to follow through. Start small and build on that. Continue reading →